


Count on Me

by Trammel



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Blood, Bruce Banner Is a Good Bro, Friendship/Love, Gen or Pre-Slash, Light Angst, M/M, Stitches, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-06-30 02:18:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19843507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trammel/pseuds/Trammel
Summary: Tony turned to go but something stopped him. He didn't know what it was, but he didn't feel right leaving Bruce alone. Even though Tony would be just a few floors up and Jarvis was always watching (at Bruce's request), Tony didn't like the idea of Bruce waking up alone.





	Count on Me

**Author's Note:**

> For Science Bros Week Day 2 - Prompt - Drip

It was the Avengers' second mission. Much much less horrifying that their first. No alien robots. Just man-made robots – by some second-rate villain calling himself “Dr. Doom” of all things. It had taken most of the day to get the situation under control, but there were no casualties. Some civilian injuries and lots of structural damage – but Tony had set up the Stark Foundation to pay for repairs, once they realized this would be a recurring thing – and every member of the team was a bit banged up, except for the Other Guy, but all-in-all, a much better outing than their first.

Tony had been living and working with the team for several months now, and mostly with his new science bro, so Bruce had admitted to him what a toll the change took on him.

So now, as they all filed on to the Quinjet to head home to the tower, Tony stayed close to the Other Guy, instead of flying back on his own. He didn't want Bruce to come back to himself possibly hurt, confused, without a friend nearby. Cap and the spy twins were huddled together, talking SHIELD business. Tony led the Other Guy away from them and stepped out of the suit.

“Hey buddy. You did great. Great job. You wanna rest now?” Tony was careful not to mention Banner to Hulk, they didn't seem to like each other much, though Tony was working on that with Bruce. Slowly.

The Hulk huffed and nodded his huge head.

“Sleep now.”

As he watched the behemoth grow smaller, turning back into his tinier, pinker half, Tony wondered if he could convince Bruce to let the Other Guy out to train with the team. Capsicle was all gung-ho about team bonding and training together, and all those things that kinda made Tony want to hurl, but in the Other Guy's case, letting him out more, not just to smash when needed, could be a good thing.

Tony was pulled out of his thoughts by Bruce's rough, pained voice.

“How many?”

The man was pale and shaking. Tony quickly grabbed a blanket from the nearby pile and knelt down to wrap it around the other man.

“Everything's fine, Bruce. The mission went well. How many what?”

“-did he – did I kill?” The fear in Bruce's voice cut Tony to the core. Damn, Bruce still thought he was the bad guy.

“Nobody. None. No casualties.” Tony held Bruce's gaze and gently put his hand on Bruce's back, trying for comforting. “Big Green smashed a bunch of Doombots – that's what this idiot is calling them. No civilians.”

Bruce reached over and grabbed on to Tony's dirty t-shirt. Hope flooded his eyes.

“Really?”

“Yes. Really. Pinky swear. Listen, Steve'll tell you. Hey, Cap, you wanna give Bruce a rundown of Hulk's performance today?”

Steve walked over, still in that ridicuolous old-timey suit. Tony would have to get on designing him a better one.

“Of course. Dr. Banner, the Other Guy was exceptional today. The mission parameters...”

Tony tuned out Steve's voice and helped the half-comatose scientist into a pair of clean sweats. Bruce didn't seem to follow everything Steve was saying, but he did seem to get that the Other Guy hadn't hurt anybody.

When they all got back to the tower, Tony helped Bruce up to his floor. Bruce was very unsteady on his feet, holding on to Tony and almost falling asleep where he stood, so Tony guided him all the way to his bedroom.

The place still looked only half lived in, as if Bruce still thought he would have to run off at a moment's notice, but Tony realized they did spend most of their time in the lab and the workshop, when Tony wasn't dealing with the bureaucratic hell his life had now become.

He helped Bruce sit down on the bed, and the man slumped down onto the pillow and literally passed out.

Tony turned to go but something stopped him. He didn't know what it was, but he didn't feel right leaving Bruce alone. Even though Tony would be just a few floors up and Jarvis was always watching (at Bruce's request), Tony didn't like the idea of Bruce waking up alone.

Tony stumbled to an armchair near the doorway, next to a pile of – how quaint – hardback books. Wow, he was tired too. Maybe he'd just close his eyes a minute.

* * *

“Dr. Banner, you are in Manhattan, at Stark Tower. It is 3:32 a.m. on July 15, 2012...”

Bruce opened his eyes to Jarvis' now-familiar greeting. Tony had suggested it might help him to hear it each time he woke, and given that more than once Bruce had woken cold and naked and not knowing even what country he was in, hearing Jarvis' voice was reassuring.

It reminded him that he was h – here. In Stark tower. This place that Tony had given him.

And he saw that Tony was asleep in the yellow armchair near the door. Still clad in the dirty jeans and t-shirt he'd worn under his suit.

Bruce's healers eyes looked Tony over, and Bruce started when he was blood was slowly dripping down Tony's left arm, coming from under the short sleeve of his band t-shirt. Bruce was out of the bed and on his feet as soon as his sleep-addled brain would let him move.

“Jarvis? Tony's injuries?”

“There is a deep laceration on his left arm that I believe needs stitches,” the AI responded.

“Ok. Right. I'm on it.”

Bruce went to get the first aid kit supplies that were stocked on each floor of the tower. He came back to find Tony in the same position, slumped with his head lolling on his shoulder. Bruce set out the instruments and put on disposable gloves. This was top-end stuff, nothing like what he was working with in Calcutta.

He put the instruments down on the table next to the armchair, then pulled another chair over to sit in front of the sleeping man.

“Tony?” he whispered gently. It was better to wake him calmly, if possible. They both had nightmares; something they'd shared in their long nights working together in the lab. And Tony especially, waking to someone cutting into him without warning was not a good idea.

“Tony, it's Bruce. You're home. You're safe. But I need you to wake up a minute.”

After a few moments, Tony's eyes blinked open. He looked around, a bit confused, while Jarvis gave his usual greeting, letting Tony know where he was.

Tony's eyes landed on Bruce.

“Oh, hey. Guess I fell asleep. You ok?”

“I'm fine,” Bruce smiled. “I wanted to suture your arm, if that's ok. Jarvis is concerned.”

Tony looked down, seeming to notice the blood on his arm for the first time.

“Hm. Jarvis is always concerned. But sure, go ahead.”

“I, uh, need you to lose the t-shirt.”

Tony sat up, nodding. Bruce could see the fake non-chalance with which he forced himself to pull his t-shirt off. He dropped the dirty shirt on the floor, then held out his arm for Bruce to work on.

Bruce just focused on the work at hand, cleaning the wound carefully, Tony's eyes on him the entire time.

He figured Tony wouldn't want a numbing agent for simple stitches, and he was glad to see the laceration was straight and uncomplicated. It should heal up nicely. He picked up the needle and met Tony's eyes.

“You ready?”

“Yeah,” Tony smiled. “Do I get a lollipop if I'm good?”

Bruce just gave him a small smile back and started suturing.

“You know, I usually just do this kind of thing myself. Nobody's ever-” Tony seemed to stop himself as he realized what he'd said, damping down the pain that had inadvertently slipped into his voice.

Bruce just calmly continued working, small, clean stitches.

“Well, I certainly understand not wanting to deal with SHIELD medics. I'm with you there. But now, we're supposed to be some kind of team. I'm here now. We can help each other out.” Bruce purposefully kept his eyes on his stitches, hoping Tony would hear what he was saying. There was no way he could convey what it meant to have a place to stay, to be. To work, not just on smashing. And to have such a good friend.

Bruce expertly tied off the last stitch, then cut the thread and put the instruments down on the table next to the armchair. He met Tony's eyes. They were clear, open. Real.

“Yeah. I might take you up on that.” He looked down at Bruce's work and nodded.

Bruce stripped off the gloves and laid them on the instruments. He got up and went to the enormous closet that Tony had filled with clothes for him, to get Tony a t-shirt and give himself a minute.

He wasn't used to this. This trust. Trust that Tony had shown him from the first moment they met. To the Other Guy too. Which was why, Bruce thought, the Other Guy was so protective of Tony too.

So if he took a moment, standing in the closet, to get himself together, only Jarvis knew.

He came back out and handed Tony a black t-shirt. Tony stood up and slipped it over his head.

“So, I don't know about a lollipop, but I could make some eggs.”

“Sounds great. And that French toast you made that one time? Pretty please? I'm injured and all,” Tony fake-whined.

Bruce laughed, actually laughed, something else that he wasn't used to. And it felt great.

“I think I can manage that. You get the coffee going. I'll be right there.”

“Sure thing, doc. And, thanks, really.” Tony gave him another of those real looks, which seemed to sear right into Bruce's chest.

“No- no problem. Any time.”


End file.
